Fil-Aussie hurt after protecting fellow passengers from drunk man on flight
A Filipino-Australian was hurt after he tried to protect his fellow passengers from a drunk traveler while they were on a Manila-bound flight from Sidney.
Air passenger Marco Selorio said that an Australian national who got drunk after supposedly gulping down alcoholic beverage sold at the airport was making a commotion and harassing the crew and a female seatmate on the plane.
The incident happened on May 21, 2019, while they were on board a Cebu Pacific plane.
"An hour or so to the flight ginising lang ako nung one of the flight attendants. Sabi niya, 'Sir, can you move to aisle 16? We need some help or assistance.' Sabi ko, sure sige," Selorio told GMA News Online.
"I didn't realize the gravity [of the situation]. Sabi nila tabihan ko lang daw. So I did," he added.
The drunk passenger apparently behaved when Selorio sat down beside him.
"Kinakausap ko siya then for a while tumahimik. There was a gap between us, so nasa window siya nasa aisle ako. So kinakausap ko, kino-contain ko and then after a while, he kept drinking his vodka in his bag," he said.
"After five hours napagod na ako... nakatulog ako and that's when he found an opening and started punching me sa jaw three times while I was asleep," he added.
Selorio said that he refrained from retaliating because the situation might get out of hand.
This time, the Australian has thrown an even worse tantrum. He eventually calmed down after being surrounded by other male passengers.
Selorio, on the other hand, was transferred to another seat where he was given first aid.
He was not able to get the name of the drunk passenger but upon arriving at the airport in Manila, a formal incident report was filed with the immigration officials and the Australian national got deported.
Selorio, who went to Manila to attend a YouTube Fan Fest and promote an artist from the US, said he helped because he wanted to protect other passengers, especially the women, from getting harassed.
There were no male flight attendants present in the said flight, he said.
Selorio said that he hopes this simple act out of concern for other people would inspire other Filipinos to continue stepping up during times of distress.
"Inaassume ko na other Filipinos would do the same if trouble like this happen," he added.
Cebu Pacific, for its part, already apologized to Selorio about the incident and offered him a round-trip ticket as a token for his kindness. —KBK, GMA News
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